Observation Hours: what constitutes "different clinical settings"?

[rockpapertea]

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Hi everyone, I was wondering, with regards to PT observation hours, what would be considered "different" clinical settings? If you worked at 2 different outpatient clinics, would that be considered a different clinical setting?

For instance, I am working as PT aide at a general outpatient clinic, and also volunteering at a hospital's cancer center outpatient clinic. Although both are outpatient clinics, the types of patients that come in to each clinic are quite different. Does anyone if I can consider this a separate clinical setting from the general outpatient clinic?

Also, if anyone has any suggestions on how find opportunities to observe in an inpatient setting, I'd love some help with that!

Thank you!

 

[bjackso0]

Hi everyone, I was wondering, with regards to PT observation hours, what would be considered "different" clinical settings? If you worked at 2 different outpatient clinics, would that be considered a different clinical setting?

For instance, I am working as PT aide at a general outpatient clinic, and also volunteering at a hospital's cancer center outpatient clinic. Although both are outpatient clinics, the types of patients that come in to each clinic are quite different. Does anyone if I can consider this a separate clinical setting from the general outpatient clinic?

Also, if anyone has any suggestions on how find opportunities to observe in an inpatient setting, I'd love some help with that!

Thank you!

I would think that those would classify as both outpatient settings. Getting experience is all about who you know and networking yourself in order to find another setting. I had a PT tech job at an outpatient facility and I went to my boss asking if he knew anywhere I could go to find acute care experience so he called around his former classmates and sure enough he got me right in to a Brain Injury Unit at a rehab hospital! Ask all the people you are working with if they can help you out in any way.

 

[rockpapertea]

I would think that those would classify as both outpatient settings. Getting experience is all about who you know and networking yourself in order to find another setting. I had a PT tech job at an outpatient facility and I went to my boss asking if he knew anywhere I could go to find acute care experience so he called around his former classmates and sure enough he got me right in to a Brain Injury Unit at a rehab hospital! Ask all the people you are working with if they can help you out in any way.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll need to step up my game in looking for more varied settings in that case. Networking sounds like the main means of obtaining experience for most people! Thanks for the tip!

 

[Paulynices]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll need to step up my game in looking for more varied settings in that case. Networking sounds like the main means of obtaining experience for most people! Thanks for the tip!

These examples of different settings were pulled from my top school's website if this helps at all.

1. Inpatient (e.g. general hospital, rehabilitation facility)
2. Outpatient (e.g. PT Clinic, outpatient hospital clinic)
3. Long-term care facility (e.g. nursing home)
4. Other settings (e.g. home health, school)

 

[somehowmadeit]

I think those two clinic settings you mentioned are great and will contribute to the diversity of your experience. Try to look for an experience in an inpatient setting next, where patients stay overnight (hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospice centers, etc). With that you should be good to go as long as you log enough hours in each setting.

 

[rockpapertea]

Paulynices, thanks for breaking it down for me it's a good quick reference to make sure I'm heading on the right track. Somehowmadeit, I appreciate the encouraging feedback! I will definitely try to use the networks that I have to hopefully extend out into inpatient. I'm still hoping the hospital I'm volunteering at will have an opening soon.

 

[PrePTCajun0830]

Okay, I have some questions about observation settings too!

I'm confused on how to separate some of my hours. I am currently observing two PTs at two different outpatient clinics. However, one lady I'm shadowing does only pediatrics and also does hippo therapy and aquatic therapy. So basically I'm observing her in three different settings. I'm unsure how I should put all of this info on the application. I don't want it to look like I only observed in two outpatient clinics, because there was four settings and they were all so different! If anyone can offer some help, that would be great.🙂 Also, I'm waiting to hear back from a couple hospitals to hopefully get some in-patient hours as well. Fingers crossed!

 

[twsurfsnow]

Okay, I have some questions about observation settings too!

I'm confused on how to separate some of my hours. I am currently observing two PTs at two different outpatient clinics. However, one lady I'm shadowing does only pediatrics and also does hippo therapy and aquatic therapy. So basically I'm observing her in three different settings. I'm unsure how I should put all of this info on the application. I don't want it to look like I only observed in two outpatient clinics, because there was four settings and they were all so different! If anyone can offer some help, that would be great.🙂 Also, I'm waiting to hear back from a couple hospitals to hopefully get some in-patient hours as well. Fingers crossed!

When you enter hours in PTCAS you can select multiple observation areas and or settings. Or you can break it down under the same PT even for different setting if you use paper verification


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